A carburetor regulates the speed and volume of air drawn into an internal combustion engine, which controls the amount of fuel that is mixed with the air and provided to the combustion chamber of the internal combustion engine. The carburetor may include a bowl that houses a quantity of fuel at any given time when the engine is running so that fuel is always available and ready for mixing with the flow of air.
As a consequence of fuel in the bowl always available for use, some fuel may remain in the bowl after the engine is no longer running. Fuel that remains in the bowl for a long period of time may become stale. Long periods of time may occur during the off-season, for example, when an engine is not used during winter. Several problems may arise with stale fuel. The stale fuel may lose volatility and fail to provide sufficient combustion for operation of the engine. The stale fuel may at least partially evaporate and leave behind sediments or residue that clog components of the carburetor.
The apparatus and techniques described herein prevent or lessen the effects of stale fuel in the bowl of a carburetor.